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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What were the poet's initial reactions to Brazil?
(a) Hatred.
(b) A desire to stay for many years.
(c) Curiosity and distaste.
(d) Admiration.

2. Where does Micucu hide in "The Burglar of Babylon"?
(a) In a ditch.
(b) In the hills.
(c) In a barn.
(d) In a church.

3. To what topic do many of Bishop's observations in the poems in North and South pertain?
(a) Geography.
(b) Nature.
(c) Politics.
(d) History.

4. What is "The Burglar of Babylon" about?
(a) A cunning burglar who escapes from prison.
(b) An inept burglar who fails to escape from prison.
(c) An inept burglar who escapes from prison.
(d) A cunning burglar who stays out of prison.

5. What literary devices does Bishop employ in the poems in North and South?
(a) Metaphor and simile.
(b) Symbolism and alliteration.
(c) Allusion and symbolism.
(d) Foreshadowing and mood.

Short Answer Questions

1. On what is "The Riverman" based?

2. Why does Bishop love the sea?

3. How did the title "The Man-Moth" come to be?

4. How long does the poet spend in Brazil?

5. How does the family react to the poet in "Manuelzinho"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of the title of "The Prodigal"?

2. What does the final stanza of "Insomnia" depict?

3. What two things is Bishop comparing in "Brazil, January 1, 1502"?

4. How does Bishop portray water in the poems in North and South?

5. How does Bishop liken an iceberg to the soul in "The Imaginary Iceberg"?

6. In what form is "The Burglar of Babylon" written? Why does the poet use this form?

7. In what way does the language contrast with the emotional situation in "Songs for a Colored Singer?"

8. What is the relationship between the fisherman and the fishhouse in "At the Fishhouses"?

9. Why does Bishop use the structure of building each line upon the last in "Visits to St. Elizabeth's"?

10. How is the writing style in "The Riverman" unlike most of Bishop's poems?

(see the answer keys)

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